Conduit system for connecting gas-condensers.



No. 774,440. PATBNTED NOV. 8, 1904.

E. F. LLOYD. GONDUIT SYSTEM FOR OONNEGTING GAS GONDENSBRS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 5, 19011. No MODEL.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Hamel/s.

No. 774,440. 1- PATENTED NOV. 8. 1904.

E. F. LLOYD.

CONDUIT SYSTEM FOR CONNECTING GAS GONDENSERS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 5, 1904. No MODEL. asuma-SHEET 2.

UNITED 'STATES rammed November 8, 1904..

PATENT OFFICE.

ERNESTA F. LLOYD, OF DETROIT, .MICHIGAN SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 774,440, dated November 8, 1904.

" Application filed March 5,1904. Serial No.- 196,738. (No model.)

To ff/ZZ whom, it Wawy concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST F. LLOYD, aciti- Zen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Vayne and State ofMichigan', have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin ConduitSystems for Connecting Gas-Condensers, of which the following is aspecification reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to pipe or conduit con-v nections for condensersof various descriptions, and more particularly for condensers used inthe manufacture of gas.

In modern gas plants producing daily enormous quantities of gascondensers of Very large size must be employed for cooling the hot gas,and the pipe-conduits conveying. it to and from the condensers must becorrespondingly large, and since it has become very desirable in moderngas plants to have two condensers connected by a system of conduits andvalves, whereby the two condensers may be connected in series, makingeither one first or permitting the use of either one alone, thearrangement of a suitable system of conduits and valves requires seriousconsideration.

The main object in using two condensers in modern gas plants is toprevent the accumulation of naphthalene, and as this condensation takesplace in the colder one of the two, which in the usual course ofoperation will be the one second in series, by reversing the connection,and thus letting the hot gas into this cool one first, the naphthalenewill be vaporized again and carried off. By a judicious manipulation ofthe reversing-valves it is thus possible to cool the gas without robbingit of one of its desirable constitutents. The conduits and valves as atpresent commonly arrangeddo not permit of this contingency of operation,since there is a multiplicity of widely -scattered valves and the systemof conduits is too complicated to permit of any intelligent conceptionof its operation except by one who has become very familiar with it; andtherefore it is the object of my invention to arrange the conduits andvalves on a more simple and comprehensive plan involving a minimum ofvalves so placed that the operator in charge what manner the condensersare connected and which of the valves must be opened or lclosed toeffect the desired change in the connection ofthe condensers. At thesame time my aim is to avoid long and complicated stretches 'of pipe-conduits and cumbersome supports therefor.

My improved system of connection accomplishes the objects desired in themanner hereinafter more fullydescribed, and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which-,-

VFigure l is a plan of two condensers with my improved conduit systemapplied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, and Fig. 3y is arear elevation of the same.

In the drawings, A A are two condensers of the upright type usuallyemployed, each provided with an inlet for the gas near the top and anoutlet near the bottom. These two condensers, which are designated as No1 and No 2, are placed side by side, with aspace between them, as shown,and the system of conduits and valves connecting the same is as follows:The two outlets are connected by a vcrossover B, which is in the sameplane with the outlets, and the inlets are connected by a crossover C,which is U-shaped, the horizontal or middle portion of which is also inthe same plane with the crossover B, and the two Crossovers B and C areconnected in the middle by the transverse crossover D. In front of thetwo condensers and in the same vertical plane with the crossover O, Iplace the supply-conduit E and connect the same by elbows or otherwisewith the ends of the hori- Zontal portion of the crossover O. In therear of the condensers and in the same vertical plane with the crossoverAB, I place the exhaust-conduit F, which is connected with the ends ofthe crossover B and through a right-angle bend B' with thesupply-conduit. I preferably support the supply and exhaust conduitsdirectly upon the main'loor and support, if necessary, the condensersupon a raised base just at thepropier height to form the connection withthe Crossovers by ordinary Ts or elbows, so that no extra supports forthe conduits are needed, while at the same time it will be observed thatthe whole system of conduits may be built in this manner of commercialpipe and pipe connections. Each of the crossovers is provided with fourvalves. Those in the crossover C are numbered l 2 3 4, and those in thecrossover B are numbered 5 6 7 8. The valves 1 and 4 and 5 and 8 controlthe connections of the crossovers with the supply and exhaust conduits,and the valves 2 and 3 and 6 and 7 control the passage of the gasthrough the crossovers, the valves being placed symmetrically in saidCrossovers, as shown. The valves operate with their stems in verticalposition and are preferably of the throughway type, having rising andfalling valve-stems supported in suitable valve-stands upon a commonplatform P, erected at a suitable height above the valves.

The parts being arranged and constructed as shown and described, theoperation-is as follows: If valves 1, 3, 6, and 8 are opened and theothers are all closed, the two condensers are connected in series withNo. l first, and if valves 4, 7, 2, and 5 are opened and the othersclosed the condensers are connected with No. 2 lirst in the series. Thereversal in series is thus effected by simply alternating' the valves.Cf the four valves l, 2, 5, and 6, which are grouped around onecondenser, and of the four valves 3, 4, 7, and 8, which are groupedaround the other condenser, the two open valves in one group correspondwith the two open valves of the other group and the two closed valves ofthe same group correspond with the two closed valves of the other group,thus making confusion impossible, since the reversing of the series isaccomplished by reversing all of the valves-s e., by closing the twoopen valves and opening the two closed valves of cach group. If thevalves have rising valve-stems, the opened or closed positions of thevalves will be indicated by the valve-stems; but if valves with snon-rising valve-stems should be employed suitable indicators should beprovided. 1t will also be seen that if the two valves l and 5 only orthe two valves 4. and 8 only are opened only one of the two condensersis operatively connected.

By placing' a valve 9 in the supply-conduit near its junction with theexhaust-conduit these two conduits may be connected by opening thisvalve, and by then closing the valves l and 4c both condensers may becutout, if a contingency requiring such action should arise, withoutstopping the iiow of the g'as through the supply-conduit. rlhe valve 9may be of the same character and may be arranged to be operated from thesame platform as the other valves; but it is preferably placed apartfrom the others which are regularly used.

My improvement accomplishes all of the objects set forth and more, sincemy system of conduits and valves is very cheap and simple,

using in its construction not a single partV which must necessarily bespecially made for the purpose.

What I claim as my invention is l. The combination with two condensersof the character described, of a pipe-conduit comprising acrossoverBconnecting the outlets of the condensers in the horizontal planethereof, an exhaust-conduit F below said crossover and communicatingwith said outlets through separate connections with said crossover` aU-shaped crossover C connecting the inlets of the two condensers andhaving its middle portion arranged in the same horizontal plane as thecrossover B, a transverse crossover D connecting the Crossovers B and Cintermediate their ends, and a supply-conduit E extending horizontallybelow the crossover C and communicating with the inlet-openings of thecondensers through separate connections with the horizontal portion ofthe crossover C, valves 1, 2, 3 and L in the horizontal portion of thecrossover C and its connections with the supply-pipe and valves 5, 6, 7and 8 in the crossover B and its connections with the exhaust-pipe.

2. The combination with two condensers of the character described, of apipe-conduit comprising a crossover B connecting the outlets of the twocondensers in a horizontal plane therewith and provided with the valves6 and 7, an exhaust-conduitF below said crossover and communicating withsaid outlets through independent connections with said crossover, valves5 and 8 in said connections, a U-shapcd crossover C connectingl theinlets of the two condensers and having its middle portion in the samehorizontal plane with the crossover B and provided with valves 2 and 3,a transverse crossover D connecting' the Crossovers Band C midway oftheirlength, a horizontally-extending supply-conduit E below thecrossover C and communicating' with the inlet-openings of the condensersthrough independent connections with the horizontal portion of theconduit C, valves l and 4 in the above connections, all of theabovenamed valves operating with their stems in a vertical position andhaving their valve-stands accessibly supported upon a common level by aplatform.

ln testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST E. LLOYD.

Witnesses:

CTTo F. BARTHEL, LEwIs E. FLANDnRs.

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